INT: Robert Hall

Special makeup effects
artist Robert Hall (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, Dead
Birds etc.) has recently hopped on the directorial wagon via his
very personal film Lightning Bug. This baby tells the tale of a
genre loving young man fighting the severe odds lined up against him
in the name of becoming a makeup effects artist for horror
movies. I got the chance to trade blows with writer/director Robert and
here's what he launched my way about the picture.

Arrow: What’s your favorite horror
movie?

Robert:
Halloween. Hands down. I saw that movie at the theatre when I was
six years old. I was terrified of Michael Myers and would look out
the window of my bedroom expecting that blank emotionless face to be
coming at me! It’s an odd choice for some people because it’s not an
fx movie. But it’s the film that made me want to scare people first
with creature fx and now with filmmaking. John Carpenter is a
genius. I still watch it on DVD every year in October!

Arrow: What was the initial spark that
ignited your love for the genre?

Robert:Well first
Halloween and The Fog in theatres. Then I saw the making of Thriller
with Rick Baker and I knew I wanted to do prosthetics and creatures
for a living.

Arrow:
Of all the special effects you’ve created, which one is dearest to
your heart?

Robert:That question
is so hard. It’s like picking your favorite children! I’d have to
say a few that I am proud of is “Skip” on Angel, “Gnarl” from Buffy,
and the “Dead Birds” creature. Dead Birds was a great challenge and
Alex Turner is an amazing director with a vision. I also loved
ripping off Dennis Hopper’s face in “Unspeakable”.

Arrow:
You’ve recently graduated from Special Effects wizardry to
writer/director with the feature Lightning Bug. It says that it is
based on true accounts. How close to your real life is the film?

Robert:Too close for
comfort. I am the character of Green and those (kinds) of people DO
EXIST, even still today. I know what it’s like to live in a
religious, uptight, small minded community like Fairfield. I also
know what it is to want something bigger and strive for that no
matter what the obstacles are. One of the only criticisms that
people ever have about the film is that they think I am
stereo-typing.

They think that a super religious
mother and a drunk red neck step dad are a bit far fetched! This
infuriates me because I LIVED IT! I know it’s still prevalent and if
someone wants to challenge me on it I will drive them to a town in
North Alabama, Kick them out at a rest stop and be back the next
day. We’ll see if I am making this stuff up! As my Producer put it
when location scouting “I met Earl nine times when looking for
locations” one time she was chased off with a shotgun!

Furthermore we almost had a church
come to the set and protest! Talk about life imitating art. When we
were holding auditions in Birmingham almost half of the actors left
when they read the sides because they said “this movie’s got
Language in it”.

Arrow: Did
you find it hard to re-visit the hard times you went through while
writing the screenplay or shooting the picture?

Robert:I actually
found the process cathartic. We filmed in my old high school and the
same video store I frequented when I was Green’s age. It was wild
but a nice feeling overall, especially being able to re-write
history.

Arrow:
Great choices casting wise by the way! Ashley Lawrence hasn’t gotten
a meaty part like this in a while! Thank you! How arduous was the
casting process for the movie?

Robert:The casting
process took 4 months. The hardest parts to fill were the two leads.
Almost everyone else I am friends with and wrote the parts for.
Ashley Laurence is my best friend and an amazing actress. I knew she
was more talented than the type of roles she usually gets so she was
a shu in. Hal Sparks is also my best bud and we play in a band
together so he was easy. Kevin Gage I met on Firefly and I said to
myself while he was doing a scene “Oh my God! I found earl.” Til
that moment I had not seen an actor in 4 years (sine I wrote the
script) who I thought was scary enough for Earl until I had met
Kevin.

I did not know who Laura Prepon
was. I hate sitcoms, so when she came in to the audition all gothed
out and read I was like, Who is that? Bret was the last to be cast
from LA and he was a dream. Super talented actor and the right
vulnerability for the role. Shannon Eubanks, Jonathan Spencer,
George Faughnan, and Lucas til all came from Atlanta and kicked ass.
Shannon is kind of a legend down there. I was so fortunate to have
this caliber of cast for such a small movie.

Arrow: Where
is the film now in terms of distribution?

Robert:LIMBO! Ha,
Ha. No seriously we are getting some great feedback and some
interest. We are just looking at the best options right now for
distribution. I hope to have it run theatrically by January and on
DVD by summer of 2005. It’s all about finding a like minded
distributor who wants a well made passion project and not just
product.

Arrow: Is
Kevin Gage as much of a badass in real life as he is onscreen? How
was he to work with?

Robert:Kevin is the
nicest guy I have ever met-completely unlike the guys he play!
Unfortunately LB was the last film he did before serving a 41 month
prison sentence for medicinal marijuana! WHAT BS!

Arrow:
What’s next on your plate directing wise?

Robert:I am
finishing the script for a Psychological horror film called “9
Records” at the moment, and we should be in production on it next
year. It’s another “Dirty South Epic” but scary and dark. I will
direct and my “LB” DP Brandon Trost will be on board. The guy was 21
when he shot my film and I think he’s going to be the next big
thing.

Arrow: What
was the first beverage you consumed at the cast party for Lightning
bug?

Robert:Since I am a
low carb freak I had about 17 Michelob Ultras! Hey if anyone from
Michelob is reading this we are looking for product placement on our
next flick!

I'd
like to thank Robert
for the bitter pill that was Lightning Bug and wish him all the best
in terms of finding a distributor for his fine film. Knock
them dead kid!